Family helps woman find a home

9:35 AM,
Jan. 12, 2014

A door that locks: Carmen Cepeda, right, smiles in the doorway of her two-bedroom apartment, as she chats with Carina Escobar Su in Tamuning, Friday. Cepeda and her 17-year-old son were homeless after being evicted by her landlord in Harmon last year in November, but with the help of the Escobar family, Cepeda was able to receive government assistance to find a place to call home. Rick Cruz/Pacific Daily News/rmcruz@guampdn.com

Written by

Amanda Francel Blas
Pacific Daily News

While most residents opted to ring in the new year with the loud bangs and colors of fireworks, Carmen Cepeda, 49, spent it in the silence and comfort of her home.

"We heard all the people outside yelling and celebrating," Cepeda said. "But for me, I was sitting inside with my son, thankful to have this place to call home."

In October, Cepeda and her 17-year-old son were living on the streets, walking along the island's rough pavement and sidewalks as they looked for a place to stay. A client of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority's Section 8 housing program, miscommunication between the ...